ROASTED: Do you have a specific food that triggers a certain memory? Spaghetti. My dad used to make it when I was really little. Me and my brother would be watching movies and he'd always let us try some and it was so good. Makes me think of simpler times.
What does a healthy lifestyle mean to you? Preferably eating non processed foods that you cook yourself. I'd say it consists of a lot of fruits, vegetables and grains. Exercising is a really important part as well as doing positive things for your mental health, which is often neglected.
Weirdest health food trend? I see supplements promoted on Instagram like bee pollen and collagen peptide bonds that are super expensive, unnecessary and trendy. It seems excessive to me.
Do you think you are healthy? I think I am under normal circumstances, but this has been a really difficult semester. I haven't had the time to exercise or cook as much as I usually do. But I am aware of what being healthy means to me. When life isn't this hectic I'll fall back into that lifestyle.
Name your guilty pleasure food? Justin's Peanut Cups! There was a while last semester that I used to eat them like every day. Those and Espresso News cookies.
How do you think living healthy will change for you after college? I think it will be much easier. I plan to devote a lot more attention to other things that I enjoy. I love graphic design but the major is very time consuming so hopefully I'll have a job that allows me to focus more on myself again.
What do you consider unhealthy about the way you eat? When I'm really busy and stressed and too anxious to eat, the most appealing things are processed foods. And since I'm not cooking as much I'm relying mostly on really quick meals. I tend to eat very irregularly on days when I'm really busy which is also an unhealthy habit I have.
How has working in the food industry informed you about how people perceive healthy eating? I think there are a lot of misconceptions that because it's vegan it's healthy. At Espresso News we do have alternative milks like almond milk and vegan baked goods so people will order a triple mocha with almond milk and a huge vegan muffin and assume it's still healthy.